Portable personal ice air conditioner with helmet and jacket enclosure

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a portable device for air conditioning using ice for delivering cold air to a person includes ice cabinet, heatsink, ambient air inlet, cabinet fan, blower fan, melted-water outlet, water reservoir, ON/OFF switch, battery, cool air towards person and air for recirculation. The ice cabinet is filled with ice or dry ice for cooling purpose. The heatsink is preferably made of aluminum or copper alloy to produce cooling effect by using the thermal energy of ice. The cold air is distributed by the cabinet fan and blown out through the blower fan toward the person. The person can switch ON the cabinet fan and blower fan which allows the air to circulate uniformly to the person&#39;s helmet. Optionally, using optimum clothing arrangement the same cold air can be circulated to the person&#39;s entire body including their legs. Optionally, through the closed mechanism in the device, the air passes through the person can again come for recirculation. This arrangement makes the air conditioning device deliver cool air to the person for longer duration with less energy utilization.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The embodiments herein generally relate to cooling systems. Morespecifically, the embodiments described herein relate to a portabledevice for air conditioning using regular ice (solid form of water) ordry ice (solid form of carbon-di-oxide) or any other suitable liquid orsolid cooled down to a low temperature. Particularly, relates toportable ice air conditioned helmet with jacket or armor enclosuredelivering cool and dry air using the thermal energy of ice to aperson's face, head, neck and torso for longer duration. Optionally,using optimum clothing arrangement the same cold air can be circulatedto the person's entire body including their legs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The human body regulates temperature by keeping a tight balance betweenheat gain and heat loss. Human beings face many problems at the time ofexposing to hot weather. Specifically, motorcycle riders, walkers,construction workers and other people exposed to hot weather facessweating as one of the main issue. Helmets are proven to be an effectiveprotector especially for motorcycle riders. The helmets are made ofnon-porous shell made of plastic or any other suitable material whichtends to protect the entire head. Person's head emits heat and resultsto sweat dripping causing discomfort to the person wearing the helmet.

So, helmets are manufactured with air intake openings in the frontportion to eradicate the corresponding problem. With an arrangement ofproviding vents helps the person to intake the oncoming air flow whiledriving. But if the vehicle stops moving or moves slowly throughtraffic, there is no air flow through the vents, so the person feelsconsiderably hot and sweaty. Then, there comes the existence of airconditioning device with ventilating systems connected with helmet. But,those designs may not provide optimal cooling to the person.

The current air conditioning solution to the person exposing to hotweather are bulkier and not portable. Further, the air conditioningsolution cannot provide cold air for longer duration. Furthermore, thecurrent air conditioning systems uses large amount of Electricity, whichrequires continuous A.C (alternating current) power or huge batteriesrendering continuous D.C (Direct current) power, both are impractical ona small vehicle such as a motor cycle.

Therefore, there is a need for a portable device for air conditioningusing ice and using less Battery power, in order to overcome the problemassociated with the prior art. Further, there is a need for an ice airconditioned device to deliver cold air using thermal energy of ice forlonger duration. Further there is a need for the air conditioning deviceto deliver cool and dry air without any added moisture. Still, there isa need for a portable device for air conditioning using ice which shallbe suitable to wear as a back pack or as an external device, such as aside box for a motorcycle.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Some of the objects of the present disclosure are described hereinbelow:

A main object of the present invention is to provide a portable devicefor air conditioning using thermal energy of ice producing dry cold airwith no added moisture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice airconditioned device to deliver cold air repeatedly for longer period ofduration.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a heatsinkmade of aluminum or copper alloy or can be made of any other suitablematerials to produce cooling effect by using thermal energy of ice. Theheatsink is a solid piece of metal with no moving parts or movingfluids. One side of the heatsink is flat, the other side contains anumber of fins.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a heatsink toutilize ambient air from the atmosphere and cool it down to lowertemperature.

Another object of the present invention is to distribute the cold airwhich is in contact with the heatsink to other parts of the air cabinetusing a cabinet fan.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the air flow fromthe air cabinet to a blower fan.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a blower fan formoving cooled air towards the person and then optionally, the air whichpasses through the person can again be recirculated using hose pipes forenhanced cooling effect.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an airconditioning device which can be used as a backpack air conditioner oras an external article for anyone exposed to hot weather, such as motorcycle drivers.

The other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings which are incorporated for illustration ofpreferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended tolimit the scope thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a portabledevice for air conditioning using ice or dry ice. According to anembodiment, the portable personal air conditioning device using ice,which is delivering cold air to person's torso and head includes icecabinet, heatsink, ambient air inlet, cabinet fan, blower fan,melted-water outlet, water reservoir, ON/OFF switch, battery, cool airtowards person and air for recirculation.

The ice cabinet consists of ice and heatsink. The heatsink is made ofaluminum or copper alloy or can be made of any other suitable materialsto produce cooling effect by using the thermal energy of ice. Theheatsink is a solid piece of metal with no moving parts or movingfluids. One side of the heatsink is flat, the other side contains anumber of fins. The top surface of the heatsink, which has smooth andflat surface, forms the bottom of the ice cabinet.

The air cabinet consists of an ambient air inlet, cabinet fan, blowerfan, heatsink and cold air outlet. The bottom surface of the heatsinktogether with it fins forms the top portion of the air cabinet. Thecabinet fan is placed close to the fins of the heatsink; wherein thecabinet fan distributes the cold air to all parts of the air cabinet.Hence, the cold air reduces the temperature of all the air trappedinside the air cabinet. The blower fan is a device which sucks in, thecold air from the air cabinet and then blows the air towards theperson's face, head, neck and torso through a pipe like connection.

According to an embodiment, the ice cabinet is loaded with ice or dryice. The top surface of the heatsink comes in contact with ice. As aresult, the entire surface of the heatsink including the fins getscolder. The ambient air, which comes in contact with the cold fins ofthe heatsink, is cooled down to a lower temperature. When the personturns ON the ON/OFF switch, the battery provides power to the cabinetfan and blower fan. The cabinet fan distributes cold air throughout theair cabinet. The blower fan sucks the cold air from the air chamber andblows it to the helmet through the cold air hose. Therefore, cold aircirculates around the person's face, head, neck and torso. Aftertouching the person, the cold air can either be left out to theatmosphere or it can be recirculated again to the cooling device throughhose pipes. This arrangement makes the air conditioning device todeliver cool air to the person for longer period of duration with lessenergy utilization. The process continues to provide personal airconditioning to the person with low cost. The ice loaded in the icecabinet eventually melts to form water. The melted-water outlet collectsthe melted-water from the ice cabinet and stores in the water reservoiror just drops it to the ground. The whole arrangement except air hoseand helmet can be worn by the person as a backpack or fixed to a vehiclesuch as a motor cycle, as a side box.

These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be betterappreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings. It should beunderstood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicatingpreferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are givenby way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments hereinwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments hereininclude all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures the use of the same reference numbers indifferent figures indicates similar or identical items.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram exemplifying a portable personal airconditioner using ice for delivering cold air to person's face, head,neck and torso. according to an embodiment therein;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary model of a portable personal airconditioner using ice for delivering cold air to the person's face,head, neck and torso. according to an embodiment therein; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view along AA′ of the exemplary model ofa portable personal air conditioner using ice for delivering cold air tothe person's face, head, neck and torso. According to an embodimenttherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous detailsthereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limitingembodiments and detailed in the following description. Descriptions ofwell-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to notunnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used hereinare intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which theembodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skillin the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examplesshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

As mentioned above, there remains a need for a portable device for airconditioning using ice. The embodiments herein achieve this by providingan ice air conditioned device delivering cold air using thermal energyof ice repeatedly for longer period of duration. According to an exampleembodiment, the air conditioning device cannot be limited to helmet orbackpack and further, it can be extended to any type of external articlewhich can include but not limited to jacket, cap and garments etc.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram exemplifying a portable personal airconditioning device 100 using ice delivering cold air to the person,according to an embodiment. The portable personal air conditioning usingice delivering cold air includes ice cabinet 101, Ice or Dry Ice 102,heatsink 103, melted-water outlet 104, air cabinet 105, ambient airinlet 106, cabinet fan 107, blower fan 108, cool air hose towards person109, ON/OFF switch 110, battery 111, recirculation air hose 112, andwater reservoir 113.

According to an embodiment, the ice cabinet 101 is filled with ice ordry Ice 102 for cooling purpose. Heatsink 103 forms the bottom of thisice cabinet. The heatsink is preferably made of aluminum or copper alloyor can be made of any other suitable material to produce cooling effectby using the thermal energy of ice. The top surface of the heatsink issmooth and flat enabling a large ice or dry ice block to be placed ontop of it. The melted-water outlet 104 is provided at a bottom corner ofthe Ice cabinet. This enables the melted water to be drained out of theice cabinet 101.

According to an embodiment, the air cabinet contains ambient air inlet106, cabinet fan 107, and a blower fan 108. The ambient air from theatmosphere is allowed to enter the air cabinet through the ambient airinlet 106. The Cabinet fan 107 is placed close to the fins of theheatsink. The cold air is distributed to all parts of the air cabinet bythe cabinet fan 107. Hence the cold air reduces the temperature of allthe air trapped inside the air cabinet. The blower fan 108 is a device,which sucks air from one side and then blows out the air towards theother side. The air from the blower fan travels through the cool airhose 109 to reach the person.

An ON/OFF switch 110 is preferably placed on the outer walls of thedevice, thus making it easier for the person to use it. This switchcontrols the power supply to the cabinet fan 107 and blower fan 108. Thebattery 111 provides power to the cabinet fan 107 and blower fan 108through the switch 110. The battery is preferably placed outside thedevice. Optionally, power supply can be taken from the vehicle's batteryas well. The recirculation air hose 112 is used to redirect the used airafter touching the person, towards the air cabinet once again forcooling. The recirculated air further enhances the cooling effect. Therecirculation air hose is an optional feature. The water reservoir 113stores the melted water coming through the melted water outlet 104. Thewater reservoir 113 is an optional feature, in absence of which themelted water can be left to the ground.

In a preferred embodiment, the ice cabinet 101 is loaded with ice, thenthe person can turn ON the ON/OFF switch 110. The ON/OFF switch triggersthe process of ambient air being sucked in through the air inlet 106 byturning on the blower fan 108. Upon touching the cold fins of theheatsink 103, the temperature of ambient air is lowered. Then thecabinet fan 107 blows the cold air towards all areas of the air cabinet105, thus lowering the temperature of all the air that is trapped insidethe air cabinet. The blower fan 108 sucks the cold air and blows itthrough the cool air hose 109. The cold air which is blown out iscirculated around the person's face, head, neck and torso thus helpingthe person to feel colder. With this arrangement, the person cancomfortably use the device in motor cycle or can be carried as a backpack. In an embodiment, the melted-water from the ice cabinet iscollected from the melted-water outlet 104 and can be stored in thewater reservoir 113 which is preferably placed at the bottom of the aircabinet. The water reservoir is optional, as the melted water can alsobe left to the ground.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary model of a portable personal airconditioner 200 using ice for delivering cold air to the person's face,head, neck and torso according to the embodiment. The exemplary model ofthe portable personal air conditioner using ice or dry ice includeshelmet 201, cold air that enters the helmet 202, jacket or armorenclosure 203, ice cabinet 101, Ice or Dry Ice 102, heatsink 103,melted-water outlet 104, air cabinet 105, ambient air inlet 106, cabinetfan 107, blower fan 108, cool air hose towards person 109, ON/OFF switch110, battery 111, recirculation air hose 112 (optional), and waterreservoir 113 (optional)

In the embodiment the exemplary model of a portable personal airconditioner 200 using ice or dry ice generates cold air from the icecabinet 101 by means of cabinet fan 107 and blower fan 108 through thecool air hose 109. Further, to turn ON the cabinet fan 107 and blowerfan 108, the ON/OFF switch 110 is provided. The cabinet fan 107circulates cold air throughout the space inside the air cabinet. Theblower fan 108 utilizes the ambient air from the atmosphere through theambient air inlet 106 to provide fresh air inside the helmet 201. Thecold air 202 from the cool air hose 109 enters and circulates inside thehelmet 201. Optionally the same air can be circulated throughout thejacket or armor enclosure 203 in order to further cool the neck andtorso regions of the person. The melted water from the ice cabinet 101is drained out through the melted-water outlet 104. The whole setupexcept air hose 109, helmet 201 and jacket or armor enclosure 203 can beworn by the person as a backpack or placed as a side box in amotorcycle. Furthermore the cold air delivery can be extended for theperson's neck, torso and any other part of the person's body includingtheir legs.

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view along AA′ of the exemplary model ofa portable personal air conditioner 300 using ice for delivering coldair to the person's head, according to an embodiment. The sectional viewalong AA′ of the exemplary model of a portable personal air conditionerusing ice clearly shows the components assembled inside the portablepersonal air conditioner. The device comprises of an ice cabinet lid301, an insulating foaming 302, the outer plastic shell 303, theheatsink 103, cabinet fan 107 and the blower fan 108.

In the embodiment, the ice cabinet lid 301 covers the ice cabinet 101without any thermal leakage. The ice cabinet lid 301 allows the personto add ice cubes or ice blocks inside the ice cabinet 101. Further, theinsulating foam 302 is provided around the entire outside surface of theair conditioning device 100 to prevent heat exchange between atmosphereand the device through radiation, convection and conduction. Theinsulating foam 302 is further covered by the outer plastic shell 303 toenhance heat insulation and aesthetic looks of the device. The heatsink103 is provided on top of the cabinet fan 107 and blower fan 108 tocirculate cold air using the thermal energy of ice.

According to an embodiment, the air conditioning device 100 can also beused as a backpack air conditioner for anyone exposed to hot weather.Since Ice is never in direct contact with air, the air conditioningdevice 100 produces dry cold air with very no added moisture.

According to an embodiment, the air conditioning device 100 deliverscold air to the person in every situation. The increased comfortproposed by the air conditioning device has the potential to extend thecomfort of the person substantially with portable weight, low cost andwith less energy utilization.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, byapplying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for variousapplications such specific embodiments without departing from thegeneric concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modificationsshould and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and rangeof equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood thatthe phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodimentsherein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can bepracticed with modification within the spirit and scope of theembodiments as described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable device for air conditioning using icedelivering cold dry air without any added moisture, to a person's face,head, neck and torso comprises: at least one ice cabinet, one heatsink,at least one cabinet fan, at least one blower fan, at least one ON/OFFswitch, at least one ambient air inlet, at least one cold air outlet, atleast one melted-water outlet, at least one water reservoir, at leastone air hose and at least one insulating foaming; wherein the icecabinet includes regular ice (solid form of water) or dry ice (solidform of carbon-di-oxide) or any other coolant which reduces thetemperature of ambient air with a help of heatsink, blower fan andcabinet fan assembly; and further the cold air that is generated fromthe air cabinet, blows forcibly through the cold air outlet via the airhose to the helmet of the person and not limited to the helmet. Usingoptimum clothing arrangement the same cold air can be circulated to theperson's entire body including their legs.
 2. The portable device forair conditioning of claim 1, wherein the ice cabinet includes an icecabinet lid to add ice cubes inside the ice cabinet and to seal the icecabinet from external heat exchange.
 3. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 1, wherein the heatsink has a smooth and flat topportion which is fixed in such a way that to make contact with the iceor dry ice.
 4. The portable device for air conditioning of claim 1,wherein the heatsink has fins at one portion which is fixed inside theair cabinet to form the top of the air cabinet.
 5. The portable devicefor air conditioning of claim 4, wherein the fins of the heatsinktransfers the thermal cooling energy of the Ice or dry Ice to cool theentire ambient air that is being sucked in to the Air cabinet therebymaking the air cool and dry, wherein the Ice is never in direct contactwith the air being cooled, thereby no added moisture content in the air,which is being delivered to the person.
 6. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 1, wherein the heatsink is preferably made ofaluminum or copper alloy or can be made of any other suitable materialwith good thermal conductivity.
 7. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 1, wherein the cabinet fan is preferably placedclose to the fins of the heatsink to lower the temperature of thetrapped air inside the air cabinet.
 8. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 1, wherein the cabinet fan and blower fan areturned ON by the ON/OFF switch and that is powered either by an externalbattery or from the vehicle's battery.
 9. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 8, wherein the blower fan sucks in the ambient airall the way through the air cabinet and blows the air forcibly throughthe cold air outlet.
 10. The portable device for air conditioning ofclaim 1, wherein the cold air outlet allows the cool air towards theperson's helmet through the air hose and then optionally, the air shallbe recirculated towards the air cabinet, after heat exchange takes placeat the helmet.
 11. The portable device for air conditioning of claim 2,wherein the ice cubes is melted due to heat exchange and the resultantmelted water is drained out via the melted-water outlet and stored in awater reservoir or left to the ground.
 12. The portable device for airconditioning of claim 1, wherein the ice cabinet is enclosed by ainsulating foaming to prevent heat exchange between ice cabinet andsurrounding atmosphere by means of radiation, convection, andconduction.
 13. The portable device for air conditioning of claim 1,wherein the insulating foam is further covered by an outer plastic shellto enhance heat insulation and aesthetic looks of the device.